A Lab-in-the-Field Experiment on the Legacies of Herbicidal Warfare in Vietnam

We randomly assign participants to different conditions by varying two factors: (1) the order in which key outcome questions, measuring primary outcomes like empathy toward herbicide victims and the dictator game, are presented relative to other survey questions; and (2) the recipient's status in the dictator game. In the first treatment group, participants answer the key outcome questions after being primed with information about herbicidal warfare. In contrast, in the first control group, these questions are asked before the priming. In the second treatment group, participants play a dictator game with an anonymous recipient from a household affected by herbicide. In contrast, the corresponding control group plays the game with an anonymous recipient from a household not affected by herbicidal warfare.

2024-09-05

2024-09-20

1. Attitudinal: Stated empathy toward herbicide victims
2. Behavioral: Amount of the allocated rewards to another (anonymous) person in a dictator game

We randomly assign participants to different conditions by varying two factors: (1) the order in which key outcome questions, measuring primary outcomes like empathy toward herbicide victims and the dictator game, are presented relative to other survey questions; and (2) the recipient's status in the dictator game. In the first treatment group, participants answer the key outcome questions after being primed with information about herbicidal warfare. In contrast, in the first control group, these questions are asked before the priming. In the second treatment group, participants play a dictator game with an anonymous recipient from a household affected by herbicide. In contrast, the corresponding control group plays the game with an anonymous recipient from a household not affected by herbicidal warfare.

Given the technical constraints in the field and the lack of detailed information about sample individuals and households outside the field, we independently and randomly assigned the two treatments to half of the sample individuals using simple randomization, without implementing any blocking

Our sample consists of 600 individuals, with one individual per household, in Vietnam: 300 from households affected by herbicidal warfare and 300 from households not affected by herbicidal warfare.

Our econometric analysis will compare the outcomes of interest across different treatment conditions and explore potential interactions between the treatments and individual- and family-level exposure to herbicide.

Not available

Randomization is done by a computer. Given the technical constraints in the field and the lack of detailed information about sample individuals and households outside the field, we independently and randomly assigned the two treatments to half of the sample individuals using simple randomization, without implementing any blocking.

Individual (one per household)

No

N/A.

600 individuals (one individual per household)

1. Treatment Group
300 individuals, with (approximately) 150 from households with herbicide victim(s) and (approximately) 150 from households without herbicide victim(s).

2. Control Group
300 individuals, with (approximately) 150 from households with herbicide victim(s) and (approximately) 150 from households without herbicide victim(s).

Given the technical constraints in the field and the lack of detailed information about sample individuals and households outside the field, we independently and randomly assigned the two treatments to half of the sample individuals using simple randomization, without implementing any blocking.